Qualification Updates
We are always evaluating changes to our Hardrock qualification standards and lottery which we feel will foster a Hardrock Run that we all stand behind. These may affect decisions you make long before our December lottery and potentially affect decisions you make concerning your running season.
The 2026 runnings of Lake Biwa, Diagonale des Fous, Ultra-Trail Cape Town, and Grampian Peaks may be used as a qualifier for Hardrock 2027 even though they are held during or after the lottery application window. If you intend to use one of these runs as your qualifier, please register for the Hardrock lottery during the window and indicate the race you wish to use as your qualifier. We will review the results after your race, and automatically process your application or remove your entry depending on your finisher status - you don't have to do anything further.
Service Requirement
There is a Service Requirement for admission to the run, consisting of 8 hours service in either:
- Organization of an ultra;
- Service at an ultra;
- Work on a trail used by an ultra;
- Construction work on a new or existing natural-surface trail under the supervision of a formal trail maintenance organization operating under permit by the appropriate land agency, not necessarily on a trail used by an ultra.
Work under 1), 2), or 3) must be coordinated with the Race Director of that ultra. Pacing or crewing another runner at an ultra does not count. Work under 4) must be signed off by the representative of the trail maintenance organization and list either the land agency permit # the work is performed under, or be signed off also by a representative of the land agency.
This service must be completed during the 12 months ending on June 15, 2026. The appropriately signed Service Requirement Form must be received as described on the form by June 21, 2027, or the runner will be removed from the start list. In addition, on June 23, 2027, the wait lists will be purged of those who have not sent in their form, and they will be ineligible to receive a spot on the start line if another runner withdraws.
Qualifications for the Hardrock Hundred
The Hardrock Hundred (HRH) is a "post-graduate" run. The challenges faced by entrants during the HRH are more varied and broader than those faced by runners in a typical 100-mile event. These challenges include (but are not limited to): high elevation; sustained (long and steep) climbs; extended distance and time between aid stations; the possibility of severe weather, including heat, cold, rain, hail, and lightning; frequent water and snow crossings; and exposure to potential for falls on steep and uneven terrain. Entrants for the HRH are expected to understand these potential challenges and be prepared to make decisions for their own safety under uncertain conditions with limited (or no) assistance.
The HRH organization maintains a list of qualifying races, and entrants must complete one of these qualifiers to be eligible for the Hardrock lottery. The current list of qualifiers and which completion years are valid for the next two Hardrock lotteries are listed above. While there is no guarantee that the runner is prepared for every eventuality, finishing a qualifying event gives the event organizers confidence that HRH entrants are prepared for possible conditions on the Hardrock course.
The HRH Board of Directors evaluates potential qualifier events based on the following criteria (note: we acknowledge that not all races will meet all of the requirements).
- A total distance of at least 100 miles.
- A significant amount of total ascent and descent (≥ 20,000’ climb).
- Extended time at elevation (> 5 miles > 8000’).
- Long, steep climbs (two continuous climbs of > 2000’).
- Distance between aid stations (> 10 miles).
- Water and snow crossings.
- Potential for extreme weather conditions.
- Event history: event held a minimum of two years with at least 30 finishers each year.
In addition, consistent with the list of Hardrock values, the following attributes of qualifying runs are also taken into consideration:
- The geographical region of the potential qualifier.
- Environmental responsibility of the qualifier.
- Impact of the qualifier on the health of the sport.
- Support offered by the qualifier to the local community.
We encourage RDs to send us information about their runs and how they address these points. The Hardrock organization maintains a spreadsheet of potential qualifiers and the Board of Directors reviews this list annually (generally at the Board Meeting held in the Fall) to add or remove qualifiers as appropriate.
When a run is added, the previous two events will be included immediately. In most cases when a run is removed, it will be phased off the qualifying list over two years. This prevents having a finish be eligible as a qualifier one year and the same finish not qualifying the following year. However, the HRH BOD reserves the right to remove a run without the two-year process.
In the case that a qualifying run needs to be cancelled or shortened due to unforeseen circumstances, we generally do not consider that event in that year a qualifier. While this may regretfully prevent some runners from qualifying, the HRH feels the importance of the qualifying process for runner safety outweighs compromising this process for convenience.
Hardrock qualifiers are chosen in part based on the difficulty of finishing the course within a specific cutoff time. To count your effort as a qualifying finish for Hardrock, you must finish within the traditional cutoff time for the qualifying race. If a race offers an early start or other extension of the traditional cutoff time, you are free to accept that offer, but a finish beyond the traditional number of hours will not count as a qualifying run for purposes of applying to the Hardrock lottery.